that were not circumcised and united to the church; and when this took place, they were to be treated as Hebrews, and to go out free after six years.

The case of the Gibeonites is different.* They found a considerable body of people, embracing four powerful cities. They belonged to the Canaanites that were to be destroyed; but moved by the report of the wonders God had wrought in Egypt and the wilderness, and the destruction of the nations on the other side of Jordan; they feared for their lives, practised a deceit on Israel, and obtained an alliance with them. After this was discovered, they were condemned to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the tabernacle of God. I have several remarks to make on this case.

They had been condemned to be destroyed for their sins. They, to evade this, practised a deceit on Israel, who was to destroy them, and obtained the protection of a covenant and oath. The original punishment could not, therefore, without violating this covenant and oath, be inflicted; and in place of it, and for the deceit, they were condemned to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. It is not said that this punishment was entailed on their children; and I see not that without proof we are to take it for granted that it was. We find the Gibeonites free in the times of Saul and David. Had they been servants to Israel at that time, Saul would hardly have destroyed them in his zeal for Israel. David treated them as free and independent, in the satisfaction which he made them for the injury received from Saul. The case has nothing to do with justifying slavery.

There is a class of persons mentioned in the latter times of the history of Judah, called Nethenims, whom some seem to think were slaves; but I apprehend without sufficient authority. The name signifies persons given or devoted. The same word is applied to the Levites,§ as set apart to aid the priests. It is to Samuel as given to the Lord by his mother to minister at the tabernacle.|| David and the princes are said to have set apart persons called from this "Nethenims."¶ They divided the Levites into * Joshua ix. † Ibid. + 2 Samuel xxi. § Num. viii. 16. 1 Samuel i. 11. ¶ Ezra viii. 20.

the classes of porters, singers, judges, &c., and these classes into twenty-four courses; and finding not as many Levites as were sufficient for all the departments they were to fill, and the duties they were to perform, they added to them other persons in such numbers as were needed. There is no more proof that they were slaves, than that the Levites were slaves. They were associated with the Levites in the same offices and duties, and were, for aught that appears, as free as they. They had their possessions as well as the Levites. 1 Chron. ix. 2; Neh. iii. 26. They came freely, separated themselves to God, joined in the covenant, and aided in re-establishing the worship of God. Ezra viii. 15-20; Neh. x. 28.

Having in another place noticed the arguments drawn from the directions to servants in the New Testament, I need not dwell on them here.

Yours, &c.

9

98

LETTER IX.

CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

ALLOW me now to call your attention to a good many cases which, unless I am much mistaken, go most clearly to prove that slavery is morally wrong, and exposes to God's wrath. Its distinguishing features are, that it is not with the consent and for the mutual benefit of the master and slave, but forced, and for the alone benefit and pleasure of the master, and for no crime in the person thus forced to serve. It is founded in violence and force, and continued by the same means.

I first remark that violence is mentioned as the prominent sin for which God destroyed the old world by the waters of a flood. "The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of violence; God said, the end of all flesh is come, for the earth is filled with violence; I will destroy them with the earth." Gen. vi. 11-13.

It is not said what kind of violence this was, whether of man on man, or nation on nation. We know not indeed whether civil government existed before the flood; nor whether the violence related to property or personal rights. This, however, does not alter the case. It proves God's hatred of violence as practised by man on man; and other passages call slavery violence and oppression.

I next adduce a case connected with the first war recorded in Scripture.

Chederlaomer, king of Elam, had subdued and held in bondage, for twelve years, the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. Those kings then threw off the yoke, and attempted to defend their freedom. In the war which followed, they were beaten, and many of them, including Lot, were taken captive.

Abraham considered it a case in which justice called on him to break the rod of the oppressor, and set the oppressed free. He armed his people, and pursued them, and that it might be manifest that justice and not gain influenced him," he lifted up his hands unto the Lord the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (solemnly vowed,) that he would not take from a thread to a shoe

He smote the oppres

latchet." God gave him success. sors, rescued the captives, recovered their goods, and let all return to their own cities. Here we have Abraham risking his own life and the lives of his people to rescue others from bondage; and when, according to a custom that early prevailed, he might have held them in servitude, he let them go free, without one shoe-latchet in return. And yet, some would have it, that he held in absolute slavery the very men with whom he performed this generous and noble exploit! How unreasonable the supposi

tion !

The bondage of Israel in Egypt is fully described, often referred to, and was severely punished.

"They set over them task-masters to afflict them with burdens, and the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all the service wherein they made them to serve, was with rigour. And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's task-masters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your tasks in making bricks, both yesterday and to-day? And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God by reason of their bondage. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them. I know that Pharaoh will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand; and I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders, which I will do in the midst thereof. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants were turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him, and six hundred chosen chariots, and pursued after them, and overtook them encompassed by the sea. And the children of Israel were sore afraid, and cried unto the Lord; and the Lord caused the sea to go back, and the waters were divided, and the children of Israel went into

the midst of the sea on dry ground; and the Egyptians pursued after them into the midst of the sea, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea, and saved Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians.-Thou shalt speak and say before the Lord, the Egyptians evil-entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage; and the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction and labour and our oppression; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs and wonders."-Deut. xxvi. 6. See the first fourteen chapters of Exodus, also the 105th Psalm.

Here is a case of slavery detailed at length, with the means used to induce the oppressors to leave it off, let the oppressed go free, enjoy the fruit of their labour, and choose the place of their habitation. This servitude is called affliction, oppression, burdens, a yoke, and hard bondage. God visited Egypt with many and sore judgments on account of it; and Israel was specially directed to borrow (ask or demand) gold and silver and raiment, and carry off with them in such quantities as to spoil the Egyptians. This appears evidently to have been done as a means of getting compensation for the labour exacted from them. Israel was forced to labour without wages, and God by his judgments so terrified the Egyptians, that they gave Israel what they demanded. Both king and people concurred in the hard dealings towards Israel, and both partook of the punishment.

Almost all the excuses now made in justification or palliation of slavery could have been made by that generation of Egyptians that was punished for enslaving Israel.

They could have plead that they did not begin it; that Israel were in slavery when they were born; that they formed the labouring class, and could not be set free without changing the whole state of society; that, considered as property, the Israelites were of immense value. That there were such prejudices between them and the Egyptians that they could not mingle and become one people: they were an abomination to each other. That they were treated well, allowed to live with their families, and to hold and accumulate property; that if correction was